ALMO plans making progress

Council waits to hear about its bid

Enfield Council has voluntarily asked the Audit Commission to assess its progress towards improving housing services in its preparation for the ALMO, Enfield Homes.

The inspectors are nearing the completion of this voluntary improvement work and the council is confident that the findings will show that plans and preparations are coming together very well.

Last autumn, during the first phase of the improvement work, the Audit Commission inspectors identified areas for improvement. An action plan is now being implemented to deal with them.

The results from this year’s MORI tenants survey show significant increases in satisfaction with landlord services with improvements of 5% on the last survey two years ago.

Cllr Matthew Laban, cabinet member for housing, said, ”Residents, council officers and the ALMO Shadow Board are working together for a common aim to secure sufficient government funding to bring all council property up to modern standards.

“We are waiting to hear the outcome of our bid which was submitted to the government in July last year. We expected to hear about it a few months ago. We know that it was well received and we are anxious to get on with the next stage of our ALMO preparations.”

Some of the plans that are making a big difference to the management of council housing are:

• The development of voluntary resident inspection teams trained to report defects in buildings and the condition of communal areas – already 38 residents have been trained and are making monthly visits to estates all over the borough.

• Engaging with local communities to build a thriving interest in housing through such activities as community festivals for all ages – last year four local festivals provided fun and entertainment – but also encouraged residents to take part in the management of their own homes.

• Dealing with big environmental issues such as pigeon pests and arranging for a hawk patrol – this was a tenant inspection recommendation.

• Planning a rolling information programme for residents who might be interested in sheltered housing from all local communities.

Mark Bellas, director of FECA, the Federation of Enfield Community Associations, said, “We are developing a strong working partnership with the council and are confident that our bid to government is a robust document setting out exactly how the ALMO will develop in Enfield.”

Cllr Laban, added, “A lot of hard work is currently going on. In every respect we are making great progress – improving homes, engaging with residents, dealing with anti-social behaviour and looking to plan for sustainable communities.

“The preparations for the ALMO are about building strong safe communities for our residents.”

This document was last updated on 2007-02-05 12:47:21 published by the Communications team. Document Reference:LBE_127927